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Jessica Hume, Parliamentary Bureau

Dec 15, 2012

, Last Updated: 6:19 PM ET

OTTAWA — Outgoing Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney has enjoyed an exalted reputation, but a recent media report that sheds light on his being courted by the Liberal party raises the question of whether he broke any conflict of interest rules while acting as a public servant.

According to the Globe and Mail, during a months-long period over which the Liberals attempted to woo Carney to run for the leadership, he spent a week-long vacation at the residence of Liberal MP Scott Brison, who is also that party's finance critic.

According to the Bank's own code of ethics, "acceptance by employees of gifts, hospitality or other benefits arising out of activities associated with their official Bank duties and offered by persons, groups or organizations having commercial or business dealings with the Bank, or with the potential of having such dealings with the Bank is permitted only if such gifts, hospitality"¦ do not influence the employee or his judgement; compromise or appear to compromise the employee's objectivity or impartiality or the integrity of the Bank".